House speaker: Estonia ‘important, friendly ally’

Estonia is among Hungary’s “very important friendly partners and allies” in the European Union and NATO, Speaker of Parliament László Kövér said on Thursday during talks with Estonian counterpart Henn Polluaas, the parliament press office said.

“Our countries are developing even closer cooperation in light of similarities in our recent histories and the current challenges we face,” Kövér said. “As well as sharing identical values, we are also bound by the closeness of our languages,” he added.

Polluaas said Hungarians and Estonians had battled with similar historical hardships, adding that whereas the suppressed people of Estonia had not been able to stand up for Hungarians in 1956, they had nevertheless shared sympathy with Hungarian freedom-fighters.

Both speakers said parliamentary relations between the two countries were satisfactory, the statement said.

They were in agreement that closer links should be developed in work in committees on defence, foreign affairs and European affairs in order to “coordinate the responses given to current challenges” and “protect traditional European values and interests”.

Source: MTI